The Ethereum Foundation has recently taken another step forward on wallet privacy, with an open-source SDK and reference wallet called Kohaku at its core. Its goal isn’t to address “how experts can protect their privacy,” but to make it possible for everyday wallets to offer privacy features that are easier to use.
Based on the features disclosed so far, Kohaku includes private transfers, stealth addresses, and accounts isolated by dapp. The purpose of stealth addresses is straightforward: when receiving funds, the same person can use a new, one-time address each time, making it harder to link multiple payments on-chain.
Isolating accounts by app works similarly: activity on one dapp is less likely to be combined with activity on another to build a complete profile. Another point worth noting is that the EF mentioned “formal verification” and open-source protocols. This suggests it wants to make privacy features a more standardized, reusable foundation for wallets, rather than leaving them as tools for a small number of power users.
Kohaku also supports integration with existing privacy tools such as Railgun, Privacy Pools, and Tornado Cash. What will be more important to watch next is whether any wallets actually integrate it, and whether the user experience is smooth enough after they do.
Based on the features disclosed so far, Kohaku includes private transfers, stealth addresses, and accounts isolated by dapp. The purpose of stealth addresses is straightforward: when receiving funds, the same person can use a new, one-time address each time, making it harder to link multiple payments on-chain.
Isolating accounts by app works similarly: activity on one dapp is less likely to be combined with activity on another to build a complete profile. Another point worth noting is that the EF mentioned “formal verification” and open-source protocols. This suggests it wants to make privacy features a more standardized, reusable foundation for wallets, rather than leaving them as tools for a small number of power users.
Kohaku also supports integration with existing privacy tools such as Railgun, Privacy Pools, and Tornado Cash. What will be more important to watch next is whether any wallets actually integrate it, and whether the user experience is smooth enough after they do.